Kicillof: Vultures turned to 'nightgowned' Griesa to 'attack' Argentina

Economy Minister Axel Kicillof arrives at the International Monetary and Financial Committee (IMFC) breakfast at the IMF/WB Spring Meetings in Washington.

Vulture funds made US Judge Thomas Griesa put on a “nightgown” to intervene in Argentina’s Bonar 2014 sale seeking to scare off investors, Economy Minister said questioning the strategy by hedge funds to “attack Argentina.”

“They (vulture funds) woke up Judge Griesa and made him come in a nightgown so that vultures could hurt us,” Kicillof told the Radio América station today. “As vultures have so much power, they started to attack so that investors don’t invest in Argentina.”

On Tuesday, the same day the successful Bonar 2014 took place, NML Capital said “pari passu rights” were going to be affected by the bond operation.

“Paul Singer, leader of the NML Capital fund, along with Judge Griesa seem to have more power than a country with its 40 million inhabitants,” Kicillof warned.

“We were aiming at US$ 500 million for infrastructure and the offers we had were multiplied by four and there were offers for US$ 2 billion and US$ 1.5 billion,” the minister said adding the government “went out looking for funds in the market and there was a good reaction.”

Praising the results of Tuesday’s dollar bond issue, Kicillof finally criticized the government’s leading media critics, accusing them of telling Argentineans “nobody was going to lend money to the country.”